Rants about teething

An ode to Teething.

Hey everyone, it’s Lisa here from www.lisacowan.co.uk and I wanted to share with you some of my rants and raves about teething. We all go through it with our little ones, and some of us have a worse experience than others, but I wanted to get something off of my chest today.

You see, I talk about teething a lot. In fact I talk about teething so much sometimes I feel like I'm the one who is actually teething. Over the past 13 months I've gotten to know the little whirlwind that is my daughter and her patterns well. She's been an early teether from only 10 weeks and only actually cut a tooth at 9 months old. It is a long battle, and one we've sharpened our pitchforks ready for battle. Well I say pitchforks, I've really come armed in battle with an assortment of teething gels, powders, toys and things you wouldn't even think of.

It's gotten to the point I'm so fed up of blaming everything on teething. Sat on a public bus and Imogen starts throwing a tantrum – ‘oh sorry she's just teething’. She's trying to chew my purse – good ole teething fairy strikes again. An unexplained rash on her chin? ‘Yes it's a teething rash not an allergic reaction to a particular food’. Turns out she's allergic to strawberries. I'm sick of saying it. Sick of blaming everything on teething. I wish someone would've just told me that it would've been my biggest nightmare and that changing smelly nappies or trying to feed a baby at 5 in the morning with impossible wind was a breeze!

I'm not undermining what it does to babies heck, my own wisdom tooth is pushing through so I understand what pain she must be in but I'm sick of people telling me it'll pass. Imogen is 13 months old. She bites and chews everything and still has nights when she's up until quarter to 6 in the morning screaming at me no matter what I try. It's tough. I didn't realise how long this would last for and the fact that Imogen currently is just cutting tooth number 5 and the tantrums are getting worse to go hand in hand with it. It's not getting easier it's in fact getting harder, much more harder. Especially as she's so animated and portrays her emotions even more my heart breaks seeing her scream at the top of her lungs in her sleep.

I have tried every single thing I can think of. Frozen dummies, chewable teething sticks, anbesol, teething gels, teething granules, teether toys, milk lollies, calpol, nurofen, teething bibs. You named it we've probably tried it. Nothing will make it completely go away and we weren't fortunate in any way to avoid teething, we've pretty much been hit with it full on. I wish I could say that she only dribbles or that she only gets red cheeks. Nope it's everything. Dribbles, red cheeks, chewing on everything in site, wanting to eat and crying when something touches her mouth, crying and acting up, clingy, swollen gums, irritated. I've tried everything I can and only snuggles with my babe makes her feel better.